Democratic Texas state Rep. James Talarico claimed Saturday supporters of President Donald Trump were taking statements he made in a series of social media posts “out of context,” and he refused to apologize for the remarks.
Talarico, a Presbyterian seminarian and former middle school teacher, defeated Democratic Texas Rep. Jasmine Crockett in the March 3 Democratic primary for the party’s nomination for the seat currently held by Republican Sen. John Cornyn. Fox News contributor Jessica Tarlov questioned Talarico about the 2020 tweet thread, in which he said white people had immunity from the “virus of racism” during an episode of the “Raging Moderates” podcast.
“I want you to help me out because these this is what my incoming looks like because of you. So, I still love you, but you and Gavin Newsome are complicating my life to say the least,” Tarlov said during the interview, which took place at South by Southwest. “We’ve got white skin gives me and every white American immunity from the virus, but we spread it wherever we go through our words, our actions, and our systems. We don’t have to be showing symptoms like a white hood or a confederate flag to be contagious. One from 2020.”